


Monsters Don't Sleep (Part 2)

by QuietDarkness



Series: Simplicity and Complexity (Harrisco) [33]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 04:41:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12927681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietDarkness/pseuds/QuietDarkness
Summary: Harry, Cisco and Sophia are searching for a way out, but find themselves with another survivor and a whole new set of problems...'Opposites don't just attract. They catch fire and burn the entire city down.'(Part 33)





	Monsters Don't Sleep (Part 2)

“He's a metahuman, isn't he?” Sophia asked, her voice shaken and labored beside him. Cisco fought the urge to argue the point, giving her a sideways glance. Her tear streaked, dirty face looked as exhausted as he knew Harry was right now. Sophia met his gaze. “His eyes... and he healed me.” She added, as if that made her point for her. Cisco let a long breath out of his nose, billows of steam meeting the cold night air. 

“He's... something like that.” He said, his eyes locking onto the taller man on the path before them. Harry's longer strides keeping him ahead of them. But Cisco could see the tightness in his shoulders, the hitch in his steps. Harry was spent from healing Sophia. But like the stubborn jackass he was, he was pushing through it and not saying a word. 

“It's okay. I'm grateful.” She said then, pulling Harry's jacket tighter around her. “Ray and I... our research...” she paused, shaking her head a little and clearing her throat, “We theorized that some of the mutations metahumans experienced could be useful toward cancer research.” Her voice sounded almost automatic, on autopilot. Her footing however, far less so. She caught slightly, tripping over her own feet. But Cisco reached for her, nearly losing the flashlight in the process. Harry stopped and turned, looking at them with a raised brow. His softly glowing blue eyes watched with quiet concern. But then he was suddenly looking away, as though he heard something.

“Harry?” Cisco called out quietly. But Harry just held a hand out toward them, silencing them and stepped toward the trees, disappearing. Shit. “Harry!” He hissed out, letting go of Sophia as she straightened and darted his flashlight in that direction. “Dammit, answer me!” He urged, stepping toward the trees. Quiet. Lots of it. A long couple of minutes went by, and he was about to call out again, only to let out a decidedly unmanly yelp as Harry re-emerged, causing Cisco to hug the flashlight to himself and nearly fall backwards. Harry grabbed him by the upper arms, half amused and half concerned. “Harry, you... God... sonofa... make noise!” Cisco hit him in the chest for emphasis. All Harry did was look even more amused. But it didn't last long.

“Follow me. Quietly.” He ordered, letting go of Ramon gently. He waited for Sophia to catch up, then stepped back into the woods. Great. Leave it to Cisco Ramon to have a creepy ninja husband. He grit his teeth and followed, Sophia right behind him. 

What they eventually emerged to was the opposite end of his and Harry's campsite.

Or what was left of it.

Like Ray and Sophia's, it had been completely demolished. Their gear, their tent, all of it was ruined. Harry just stood there, tall and quietly seething in the dim light of their only flashlight. Cisco found himself wandering quietly. “Wonderful. Just...” he kicked the remains of his pack, “...wonderful.”

“It's playing games.” Harry's voice broke in. 

“What?” Sophia asked, still standing near the tree line, looking positively small and fragile. Harry barely glanced at her. 

“That's why it let you go.” Harry responded, turning to wander toward the dead campfire. “Why it let Ray even scream in the first place.”

“Oh, I don't like where you're going with this...” Cisco interjected, a sick feeling rising in his stomach.

“It stopped here first. Somehow knew it would have a fight on its hands with us. Went after you and Ray.” He did look at Sophia then. “Let you escape. Knew we'd try to help. Then came back here to weaken us by getting rid of all our resources.” He crouched, turning over a piece of ripped tent, then moving aside his ripped pack. Their crushed satellite phone was beneath that. He sighed, hands hanging between his knees. “It's trying to even the odds a bit.”

“You don't know that.” Cisco found himself saying, moving quickly up beside Harry. “You're just guessing.” Harry looked up at him, and Cisco blinked at the look on his face. “Please tell me you're just guessing.”

Harry stood up, stepping closer to him, voice soft so Sophia couldn't hear. “When I was on 714, the predators there... they were smart. They hunted by echolocation because they had no eyes, but it was more than that. They had an instinct... a way of knowing if something was as tough or tougher than they were. So they'd do things to make the fight fair, or more so. Play games, trick their adversaries. If this thing is half as intelligent as it seems, then it has enough instinct to know that you and I are not normal. I know how this sounds. How... I... sound. But I'm telling you, Ramon... this thing knows.” He motioned between them.

Cisco let out a very slow, calculated breath, staring at the intensity in Harry's eyes, the stern expression. He wouldn't lie about this. And not about 714. And sure as hell not when he knew that they were all in real danger. “So...” He cleared his throat lightly, “You mean it knows that I'm a meta and you're... you.” Cisco closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. They really needed to come up with a name for what Harry was. _Priorities, Ramon,_ he ordered himself. _Oh, great. Now you're calling yourself Ramon, just like Harry does._ He opened his eyes and looked up at Harry. “Say you're right, which I really hope you're not and I really hope this is all some seriously messed up bad dream from way too much fresh air and monster stories... but if it's not... what do we now?”

“Well,” Harry sighed, looking past him at Sophia, “We brace ourselves for a long night.” He responded, and Sophia seemed to go completely frozen under Harry's unique gaze. “Then get the hell off this mountain...”

And then Harry looked at Cisco one more time.

There it was. What Harry wasn't saying.

“It's coming back, isn't it.” Sophia said for him. Both men just glanced at her. And without another word, she just lowered herself to the ground, sitting in the underbrush without an ounce of grace or care. “We're going to die.”

“Um, no.” Cisco moved toward her, flashlight practically waving. “Did you miss the part where we get the hell off the mountain?” He crouched before her, offering her a warm smile. “Cause I'm totally up for that, in one piece, every luscious lock in place.” He smirked at her, and for a moment he could almost see her fear falter. But he couldn't blame her for being worried and afraid. He couldn't blame her for the complete defeat he could now see in her eyes, or the emptiness there either. What she'd seen, what she'd lost... 

He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and stood, turning to look at Harry, who was just quietly watching, expression guarded, face solemn. For Harry, this was all just another day in a familiar hell. Which was almost the worst part about it all. Because he'd wanted Harry to be rid of that place... 714. And he was, he knew that. And yet, it seemed hell had decided to find Harry again. Cisco could see the truth of it, there on his husband's face. 

Because Harry wasn't scared. He wasn't worried. He wasn't even mildly concerned. He was just... accepting. And that scared Cisco most of all. Because that meant Harry was okay with this. And for some reason, Cisco really didn't want him to be. 

“Come on.” Harry's voice made him jump a little, forcing him to blink and move the flashlight beam along the littered ground. “Let's see what we can salvage.” And without further hesitation, Harry just went to work. As though there was no further discussion needed. Cisco watched him, far longer than he should have, feeling a deep pit of unease swallow his composure for a short while. But then he forced himself to move. Harry was okay with this. They could figure out what that meant later. But for now, they could survive the night, make sure Sophia was safe. Yeah. They could do that.

Or so he told himself as the sky let loose and cold, steel-like, far too wet drops of rain began to pelt the already cold Earth and its inhabitants below...

* * *

Salvage was a really strong word for what they'd done.

More like scrounge. Or pick at. Even that was pushing at.

Between the three of them, they had one working flashlight, Harry's hunting knife, a single bottle of water, two protein bars, and a whole lot of trash. If nothing else, the 'monster' sure was thorough when it came to destroying things. Even Harry's glasses were toast, and there was no sign of his contacts.

“So what now?” Sophia asked, shivering as she watched Harry warily. He was leaning against a tree, looking wet from the rain, pale, dark circles forming beneath his eyes. He needed to sleep, that's what. Cisco knew that. Harry needed to eat, too. Anything to get the energy back he'd lost healing Sophia. But Cisco also knew Harry would never agree to that. He'd push himself straight into the dirt, because Harry wouldn't be Harry if he didn't. 

“Now we get back to the trail, and save the flashlight. Once we're on the path, we'll be able to navigate without it.” Harry said, pushing off the tree and swaying almost instantly. Cisco didn't hesitate, he stepped right up to him, hands grabbing onto either side of Harry's ribcage.

“Hey, woah... maybe we should let you rest. You nearly burnt yourself out, Harry.” He couldn't help the worry in his tone, the need for Harry to just listen.

“Is this because... of how you helped me?” Sophia asked as Harry rested his hands on Cisco's damp shoulders and let out a slow breath, closing his eyes a moment. 

“Yes.” Harry replied, letting Cisco gently push him back against the tree, rain still lightly falling down on them. “It caught up to me sooner than I expected.” He admitted, which honestly took Cisco a little by surprise. He didn't let him go, stepping into him. Harry always ran warm, ever since his change. But at the moment, wet and tired, he was actually kind of cold. Damn.

“Well, that settles it. We're staying here for an hour or so. At least.” He stated firmly, but Harry opened his eyes and frowned.

“No. It will know to look for us here. We need to move on. If you want to rest somewhere else, then fine. But not until we put some distance between the campsite and us.” He nearly growled out, and Cisco frowned right back at him. 

“Stubborn jackass.” He blurted. Harry didn't miss a beat.

“Pot calling kettle black.”

“I think... I know somewhere nearby.” Sophia spoke up, and both men glanced at her as she switched the flashlight from one hand to the other. 

“Where?” They both said at the same time. And Sophia had the grace to raise both brows in surprise, eyes darting between them. She licked her lips a little, cleared her throat. 

“Ray and I have hiked this mountain nearly a dozen times. We got caught in a wind storm one year, and took shelter in a cave just off the old mine path past the fork, beyond the falls. Only regular hikers know about it and... well, it's not overly big. But we should be safe there, and dry... I think.” She explained, glancing from one to the other. 

“Sounds good to me.” Cisco said, and knew Harry was about to say something in protest. But Cisco brought up one hand and literally planted it over Harry's mouth. “Not a word.” He stated, and Harry just stood there, furrowing his brows. But then nodded. “Good boy.” Cisco smirked a little, much to Harry's chagrin. 

Cisco, one. Harry, zero.

After they'd tied up what few supplies they had into a torn piece of tent, they headed out onto the path and let Sophia lead the way. Cisco kept an eye on Harry, who kept going like nothing was wrong, even though Cisco knew damn well that Harry was not doing good at all. For a so-called gift, it sure took its toll on him sometimes. 

“This is a bad idea.” Harry said softly after several minutes went by. Cisco just sighed, reaching over and curling his fingers into Harry's colder ones. Shit.

“No, you passing out from exhaustion while a monster is hunting us is a bad idea.”

“Ramon,” Harry growled lightly, glancing at him, “If we let ourselves be cornered, we're as good as-” But Cisco squeezed his hand.

“Don't. We're going to be fine, okay? You're going to rest for an hour, and we're going to get off this mountain, and this is all going to be another crazy ass story on the list of crazy ass stories we get to share with our grandkids some day.” Cisco practically demanded of Harry and the universe and the multiverse and everything in existence all in one breath.

Harry stopped entirely, but held on to Cisco's hand. Cisco turned, looking at him. Neither one of them said a word. And for a moment, Cisco swore Harry was going to demand they just turn around and go somewhere else. But instead, he gently pulled Cisco toward him and folded his arms around him. “Okay.” He said softly, letting out a warm breath into Cisco's wet hair. And just like that, Cisco melted. He let out a shuddering breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He felt tension, tight and almost painful, disappear from his back and shoulders. 

Then a breath later, they were hand in hand again, following Sophia. 

“Grandkids, huh.” Harry said quietly, but Cisco could hear the humor in his voice. And despite everything, Cisco chuckled. He couldn't help it.

“God, you're impossible.” He replied, holding Harry's hand just a little tighter. Harry just smiled, nodding.

“I know.”

* * *

The cave, if you could call it that, was more like a rounded out hovel in a large boulder. It protected them from rain, but they all had to be sitting and tucked in with their backs up against the cold stone. Harry didn't even try to fight sleep. The moment his body relaxed in place, he was out. Cisco sat warmly beside him, letting Harry lean heavily against him, hand curled around Harry's thigh as he rested his head slightly against Cisco's wet hair.

The rain seemed to pick up, which somehow made things that much darker and colder. But he kept the flashlight off. Sophia sat close beside him, still shivering despite having Harry's jacket on. Cisco could hardly see her in the dark, but he had a feeling she was crying quietly. Every now and then she'd sniff, or lift her hand like she was wiping tears or her nose. He wished he could comfort her, but what could he say? This whole thing was insane. And how exactly would anyone be comforted by words after going through what she'd just been through? The minutes ticked by in that strange, water logged silence, and he couldn't help but feel like he was failing miserably in the 'do something' department.

“You seem strangely okay with all of this... stuff.” Sophia spoke, her voice a barely managed thing. Cisco didn't look at her, shrugged, and realized she probably couldn't see it.

“It's kind of par for the course.” He said, then cringed lightly when Harry stirred, and lowered his voice. “Our life isn't exactly the picket fence kind.” He continued, much softer.

“So how many monsters have you had to deal with?” She asked. And he could hear a fair deal of venom in her tired voice. 

“People. Not monsters. Which is honestly probably what we're dealing with now.” He said, and then... silence mingling with rain. 

“You think I'm nuts.” She finally whispered, and Cisco blinked, turning his head to look at her barely made out silhouette in the dark.

“Not even a little.” He stated firmly. “I believe completely that what happened to you happened, that what you saw is real. But I also believe that monsters are nothing more than men who prey on others.”

“But how can that thing.. that... how can that be a man? Look what he did to me? To Ray?! My Ray?!” Her voice was picking up, and it was painful and strained and broken. 

“Men make monsters of men.” 

It was Harry's voice that responded. Calm, quiet, stoic. Even in the dark, Cisco knew that there was a nearly emotionless expression on Harry's face, just because that was how he reacted to situations like this. 

“I don't understand.” Sophia's much quieter voice responded.

“For just a moment, stop and think. Close your eyes and picture it, the monster. Then describe it to us, out loud. Don't focus on the small details. Forget what you've already told us. Tell us about its structure.” Harry's voice was demanding, but in that quiet, pushing-toward-the-answer sort of way he had that no one could really get angry at. And for a brief few seconds, Sophia was far too quiet. Then she spoke.

“It was tall, bipedal, and walked like a...” she cleared her throat a little, “Like a man. Its muscular skeletal structure was very humanoid, and its gait was...” She didn't continue. She'd made Harry's point for him.

“Whatever it is out there, it might not be human. But it used to be. Take away the details that are less than human. What are you left with? You're smart, Sophia. Put the pieces together for yourself. Everything has an origin.”

“Like metas.” Sophia sounded strangely scientific, even for just using two seemingly innocent words. But it was the silence on either side of him that had Cisco stiffening. Harry let out a slow breath. 

“Metas aren't monsters.”

“Some of them are. Not... you two, of course.” Her voice got quieter as she went, which almost seemed impossible. “But some of them.”

“Us two.” Harry stated, though Cisco knew there was a question in there directed toward him. They really, really needed to come up with a term for Harry. Harry sighed. "That's... not the point."

“What are you trying to say? Monster or not...” she didn't really elaborate, Cisco heard her boots scooting in the dark as she hugged her knees to her chest. Harry's arm slid around Cisco's shoulders, and it was more than welcome. 

“I'm saying... all men have weaknesses, even monsters who start out like men.” His hand gripped Cisco's shoulder a little tighter, “Which means we can kill it.”

Cisco turned to look at him. But all he got was a dark outline and glowing blue eyes that were staring hard into the raining night. Damn. 

“Killing it... sounds like a really great idea, if we can figure out what its weakness is.” Sophia said. And there was no meekness in her voice, not an ounce of tentative nature in her words. Cisco closed his eyes, lowering his forehead against Harry. 

_'You seem strangely okay with all this... stuff.'_ She'd said. And she'd been half right. Monsters, metas, mayhem. It was all normal. What he would never get used to, what he'd never want to get used to, was the idea of anyone he loved or cared about being in danger. It was part of the job, the life. And he understood that. But this was... well, this was all kinds of insane. They were on vacation, dammit! And Harry had finally been relaxing, had finally been at ease and calm and just completely Cisco's for awhile. Why, for fucks sake, couldn't it have lasted just a little while longer?

As if reading his mind, Harry nestled his cheek against the top of Cisco's head and they both sighed in unison. They didn't have to say it, but he was pretty sure they'd both thought it at the same time, too. _'Love you.'_ Though Cisco was trying very hard not to add one nagging, rather itching thought... _'Don't get dead.'_ Shit.

Just... shit.

* * *

The rain began to let up, almost to the point of ceasing entirely. And it seemed to be all the permission Harry needed to crawl out of their hiding spot and get moving, Cisco and Sophia following soggily along. The plan, if anyone could call it that, was simple enough. Follow the trail up the mountain to the ranger post. It was the closest way point, and there'd be a radio and supplies. They could find help, or at the very least call for some. Going down the mountain would take far longer. And with miles of wilderness between them and civilization, and a killer whatever it was on the loose, going up seemed far less dangerous. 

“What about Brock?” Cisco found himself asking, turning his flashlight toward a bend in the path. Harry nearly rolled his eyes out of his head. 

“What about him?” he muttered, one hand on Sophia's arm as he helped her traverse the muddy path. She was getting tired, the shock and adrenaline having completely warn off. She seemed to be robotically trudging along, barely. Cisco found himself smirking lightly at Harry's reaction.

“He'd be near the ranger's station if he stuck to the trail, wouldn't he? I mean, he was going up the mountain, right?”

“And?” Harry side-glared at him. Cisco nudged him.

“And if he's there, safety in numbers, man.”

“I'd rather fist fight the monster one on one than rely on that asshat.” Harry deadpanned. And Cisco chuckled lightly. 

“That bad, huh?”

“I was going to collect his teeth.” Harry admitted, one corner of his mouth turning up in amusement. It was strange, how easily the two of them could find humor even when they were in the thick of something so very opposite the definition of humor. Cisco reached out and wove his fingers into Harry's. 

“I think he's got masculinity issues.” Sophia's small voice interjected and both Cisco and Harry found themselves stopping, staring as she slowed and looked back at them. A slow, tired but genuine smile lit up her expression. “What? He hit on me. Four times, back at the Monster Shack. He said, 'Hey girl, feel my sweater. It's made of boyfriend material.'” For a moment, there was no sound. And then Sophia just started giggling, uncontrollably. It became instantly infectious. Cisco found himself giggling right along. And though Harry would never be caught dead giggling, he did smile, broadly, watching the two of them. Once it quieted down again, Sophia wiped her tear filled eyes. “God, I... I don't know what just happened.” She planted a hand over her chest, shaking her head and letting out a slow breath. Cisco went up to her and just hugged her warmly. She let him, resting her head against his shoulder.

“A giggle attack. Terrible timing, but probably really needed right now.” Cisco said quietly, feeling... well, lighter. He hoped Sophia felt the same. Harry just kept watching quietly, then moved toward them, placing a hand on each of their backs.

“We should keep moving.”

They didn't need much encouragement after that. The walking became much quieter, and much more purposeful. Even Sophia seemed to have gotten her second wind. Cisco tried to keep track of the minutes that passed, but in the dark, with every sound settling around them, it was far too hard. It wasn't till lights came into view that he felt a strange relief settle into his muscles. A tall tower rose up before them, bright outdoor lights on each side, just at the end of a fire road used by the forest service. A Ridgeway Mountain Ranger vehicle sat parked near a daunting metal staircase that led straight up to the ranger post with a bird's eye view of the surrounding area. The lights were on inside. 

“Yeeeeeessss.” Cisco dragged out, slow jogging toward the stairs, only to be grabbed by the back of his jacket and yanked to a stop. “Ack! Harry!” He yelped, feeling Harry's other hand curl around around his ribs.

“Stop.” He said firmly, then let go of the back of his jacket and pointed over him, toward the jeep.

Blood. Smeared across the side panel. A hand print, dragged along the plain green paint. Sophia gasped and planted her hands over her mouth. Cisco swallowed, taking a slow step forward and staring up the stairs, examining quietly as he got closer. 

And then he saw something wet on several of the metal steps. Not rain. Decidedly dark in the lights of the tower. “Notgoodnotgoodnotgood...” he muttered. 

“No, it's not.” Harry said softly beside him.

“But we're going up anyway.” Cisco stated.

“Yes, we are.” Harry replied. And Cisco sighed. 

“Of course we are...” He glanced back at Sophia.

“All of us.” Harry said, “It's not safe for you alone out here. Just... stay behind us.” Harry ordered her. And she nodded, lowering her hands, green eyes wide and shining full with fear. Harry and Cisco exchanged a look. This time, it was the 'Don't get dead' look. 

And one step after the other, they climbed the blood splattered stairs toward a partially open door...

To a scream and a boot whizzing by Harry's head, which he ducked just in time. 

“Brock?!” Cisco exclaimed, dodging a binder with papers flapping as it whizzed past. Brock was in a frenzy, grabbing whatever he could get his hands on and throwing. “Brock, stop!” Cisco yelled, Harry standing in front of Sophia entirely to shield her from the stupidity. Only then did Brock freeze, one hand up in the air with what looked like a half filled bottle of whiskey. 

“Gay dudes?” He blurted, heaving heavy breaths, eyes darting wildly back and forth. Sophia peaked her head around Harry's frame. “Soph?” He lowered the bottle and let his back hit the wall behind him.

“Sophia.” She said sternly, though quietly, stepping more into view.

Looking around, it was like a hurricane went through the place. A lot like their campsites. “What the hell are you doing?” Harry demanded hardly, stepping further in and moving toward the radio, or what was left of it. Wonderful. It was smashed to bits. Not even the receiver was in one piece.

“Me?! I'm hiding! Like a smart person!” He said, glancing at the bottle in his hand, and then he screwed the top off it, bringing it to his mouth and chugging. When he got his fill, he sat all the way down on the floor. “You don't know... there's this... this thing, man. It...” He made a face, halfway between a snarl and a grimace, then chugged some more. Cisco frowned, walked over and yanked the bottle away from him.

“Yeah, we know. Where's the ranger? His jeep's still out front.” Cisco demanded, tossing the now mostly empty bottle aside. Brock winced when it hit the floor. Sophia began to wander around the debris. 

“Oh, he's dead. It got him. Was after me. I ran here, looking for help. And it... dude, it totally just like tore him up. Dragged him off.” He motioned wildly with one hand.

“You mean you led that thing here and let it kill the ranger?” Cisco asked sharply. And Brock frowned.

“Hey, I was jus tryin to stay alive! It nearly took my he-” And then Brock froze when he got a good look at Harry's eyes. “Oh shit, man! What the fuck?!” He stood up again, pointing at Harry like he'd just spotted an alien and everyone needed to see. Harry glared at him, then shook his head and went back to examining the radio. Cisco slapped Brock's hand aside.

“Pay attention, dumbass.” Cisco growled. Then took a step back, crossing his arms and blocking as much of the view of Harry as he could. “Which way did it go? Tell us everything you saw.”

After fielding questions about Harry's eyes, figuring out that Brock's powers of observation were terrible, and the radio was pretty much useless, they were back to square one all over again. At least they had more supplies now. And something else a little surprising.

The 'monster' had left a clue.

And a not so subtle one, at that.

Sophia had found it, outside on the other side of the jeep when she'd gone out to see if the jeep's radio, or the jeep itself, still worked. She'd found the door opened, not wrecked, not broken, but opened easily with the handle. The radio had been completely destroyed, the wires below the steering wheel had been yanked out. And sitting on the passenger seat was a hand, most likely the ranger's, and a hastily, badly scrawled message, written in blood on the gray cloth cushion. 'YU DI.' The spelling might be off, but the definition was pretty damn clear.

“Now what?” Cisco asked, coming to stand next to Harry who was staring at the useless jeep quietly, arms crossed over his chest in thought. 

“Now, you vibe.”

“I what now?” Cisco raised a brow, turning to look at him. Harry glanced down, shrugging. 

“Vibe. Get a message out to Barry.”

Cisco chuckled, he couldn't help it. “And exactly how do you expect me to do that? I'm not telepathic, Harry. I can't just pop in and out of people's thoughts.”

“No. But you can vibe while you're dreaming and effect change while doing it.” Harry simply stated, and Cisco got very still. Ever since he'd vibed Harry in Jitters when he'd been sick, they'd been working on him controlling his vibes while he slept. It hadn't been easy at first. But they were getting the knack of it. And the best part of it was Cisco figured out he could knock things over, or pick things up if in real time if he concentrated hard enough. Kind of like a ghost. More than once, he'd scared the shit out of Barry or Caitlin. Totally worth the yelling. At any rate, it was all trial and error. Of course, they'd also had his goggles handy, just in case. This time, they didn't. And he had to admit, that made him feel far less comfortable with the idea.

“I don't know.” He admitted softly, looking over at the jeep. “What if I can't control it long enough?” More often than not, he'd blink out, sort of snap back into his head and wake up against his will. The few times he didn't use his goggles, it was a really strange and chaotic experience that he had to really fight to have control of. Harry moved up behind him, sliding his hands down Cisco's arms, then folding his own arms around Cisco's form.

“I won't let anything happen.” He promised without promising. And Cisco believed him. Because, well... Harry. “We have to try something. And we're running out of night.” 

“Isn't that a good thing? Daylight equals better, right?” Cisco asked, reaching up and hugging Harry's arms to himself. Harry sighed softly.

“No.” He lowered his face to Cisco's hair and breathed. “It means one of two things. Either it's going to get desperate and hunt us harder. Or it's going to make sure we can't leave so it can try again when it gets dark.” Cisco felt that pit in his stomach just grow a million times and he closed his eyes, trying to stamp down the sudden nausea. “I hope I'm wrong. I want to be wrong.” There was a strange sadness in Harry's voice, and Cisco opened his eyes, turning to look at Harry who had to let him go so they could face each other.

“But you're not.” Cisco whispered. And Harry just stared at him, quietly. Calmly. Completely okay. “You're not freaked out at all, are you. By any of this.” Harry blinked, and looked away, over Cisco's head, refusing to meet his gaze. “Is it because of 714?” Harry cleared his throat and just paced away.

“We should check on Sophia, and see if you can get some sleep so you can vibe.” Harry responded, completely avoiding the question.

“Noooo. Nu uh.” Cisco jogged after him, grabbing him by the elbow and stopping him. “You don't get to do that, remember?” He stepped in front of him. “You don't get to avoid the giant neon sign in front of everyone's faces.” He let Harry's arm go and frowned, crossing his own arms over his chest. “Since this whole thing started, you've just been on super-Harry mode. Not an ounce of worry, not an inch of freak-out. Tell me why. Because...” Cisco shook his head and let out a short bark of a laugh, “I'm terrified, Harry. Absolutely fricken terrified, and I'm doing my hardest to pretend I'm not because that's what we do. But you? You're not even a little scared. How come?”

Harry's jaw clenched periodically, and he took in a very slow breath, letting it out as quietly as possible. “I don't think I can be. At least... not like I should be. I don't really remember how. I think that part of me broke when I was over there... on 714.” He reached forward, fingers smoothing over Cisco's cheek, into his hair, thumb caressing over Cisco's cheekbone. “Only thing I'm afraid of right now is losing you. The rest... doesn't bother me.” Well, dammit. “I know it's not healthy. And I suppose I should do something about it. But right now, it's not a priority.” He stepped closer and lowered his lips to Cisco's, kissing him softly, chastely, but warmly enough to make Cisco melt right on the spot, his arms lowering in response. When he pulled away, Cisco felt himself instantly sigh. “Right now, I just want you safe. And to do that, I... we... have to stop this thing. Okay?” Harry searched his eyes, and dammit if Cisco didn't feel like a total ass. He just nodded.

“Okay.” He mumbled, then just moved into Harry before he could get away, engulfing his tall form in a hug. “But I'm not sleeping alone.” He added much more clearly. Harry chuckled a little, and stroked a hand through Cisco's hair. 

“We can all rest for a bit.” He replied. And a moment later, they were getting settled in the well lit ranger's post. Sophia was curled up in a corner, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich she'd found. Brock was snoring under a desk. And Harry was sitting with his legs stretched out, back to a wall, Cisco's head in his lap, fingers moving through the long strands in slow, comforting movements. 

“I know I may not really understand it, but I want to help. So... don't hide that stuff from me, okay?” Cisco said quietly, watching Harry through heavy lidded eyes. He couldn't help but feel sleepy now. They'd gotten the process of working on his vibes in rest down to a science. And playing with his hair always helped knock him out. Harry looked down, giving him a light smile.

“Okay. Now concentrate. And shut up.”

“Pushy.” Cisco pouted, but closed his eyes. He didn't have to see to know Harry was smiling like a pleased cat. But right... concentrate... and he did. With every breath, every stroke of Harry's fingers, till he was lulled into what he liked to call the 'in-between.' A strange, floaty place, between being awake and asleep, where he could snap into a vibe and literally be where he wanted just by thinking about it. Which was exactly what happened. 

_He thought about Barry but he was asleep, snoring loudly at his desk at CCPD and not budging no matter what Cisco tried to move or change. So he thought of Caitlin. And he found her at S.T.A.R. Labs. And she called him a workaholic. Sheesh._

_She was sitting before her console, hands around a hot cup of tea, reading over a report. Peeeeerfect. Cisco reached around her and used every bit of his concentration to manipulate her mouse. He opened up a notepad on her desktop and she instantly frowned, setting her cup down. She went to grab the mouse, but he started tapping on the keyboard until it began to work for him. The letters H-E-L-_

And then suddenly he was back in his own body, sitting up straight and sweating, breathing heavily, Harry's arms around him, feeling all kinds of not okay. “Ramon?” Harry's voice broke through the strange ringing in his ears, and he blinked, grimaced and relaxed entirely into Harry's hold. 

“Ungh.... I feel like sun ripened crap.” He replied, and Harry sighed, leaning down and pressing his lips reassuringly to Cisco's forehead.

“You worried me.” He said softly. “You weren't responding. You were gone for awhile.”

“What?” He asked, forcing himself to focus better. Only then did he realize the sun was up, just breaking through the trees. “Shit.” he said softly. 

“Shit is right.” Brock said, motioning out the window with one thumb, his voice a harsh whisper. “Cause now we've got another problem.” Sophia moved to see what it was and her brows shot up.

“Oh my god, it's a bear!” she exclaimed, then winced and planted a hand over her mouth as Brock grabbed her and dragged her away from the window.

“Shit, girl, don't be so loud!” he practically scolded her.

Harry and Cisco both exchanged looks. “It was probably attracted by the blood.” Harry explained, sighing afterward as he helped Cisco sit up.

“Of course.” Cisco whined, getting up to a standing position with Harry's help. “Why the hell not? Cause what else could possibly go wrong?” He rubbed his face with his hands.

“How bout... it's coming up the stairs!” Brock hissed out.

Ah, yes. Perfect.

Juuuuust perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> (To be continued...)


End file.
